Henry de morgan snell



(No Model.) H. DBM. SNELL.

SHIP LOGOMOTIVB. No. 498,036. Patented May 23, 1893.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

HENRY DE MORGAN SNELL, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SHIP-LOCOMOTIVE.

SPECIFICATION ,forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 498,036, dated May 23, 1893.

Application filed October 22,1892. Serial No. 449,689- (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY DE MORGAN SNELL, civil engineer,a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 53 New Broad Street, in the city of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Ship-Locomotives, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to enable the steam engines and propelling mechanism used for propelling vessels to be detachable from the ship, boat or barge to be propelled, in such a way that afteraship has been navigated from one port to another by means of what I call the ship locomotive, the said ship locomotive may be detached from the ship, boat or barge, which may then be left at the port to discharge its cargo and reload, while the ship locomotive may be attached to another ship, boat or barge and take it to its destination. For these purposes I construct my ship locomotive of a platform which carries steam boilers and propelling engines andW which is to be placed across and to extend beyond the sides of the ship or vessel that is to be propelled so as to give facility for readily lifting or lowering the platform and for shifting it from one ship or vessel to another. Preferably also I construct the platform with two caissons descending from it one to come on either side of the ship and each caisson I arrange to be propelled by a screw propeller at its stern. The caissons I also preferably make deeper than the ships or vessels to be propelled so as to give greater facility for 1ifting the platform as hereinafter described and also to better provide for a free run of water to the propeller. When propellers of other kinds are used it is not necessary to make the caissons deeper than the ship or vessel or even in some cases except for the sake of giving stability to the ship it would not be necessary to use them at all.`

In the annexed drawings Figure l shows a plan of a ship, boat or barge with aship locomotive attached to it. Fig. 2 shows an elevation and Fig. 3 a transverse section of the same.

In Fig. l, the ship, boat or barge, which I call the hull is marked with the letter A.

B B are the caissons each fitted with a screw propeller C on a propeller shaft D.

E is the platform carrying the boilers G and engines I-I which drive the propeller shafts and also carrying coal bunkers I and cabins for the crew. The accommodations for otticers and crew are conveniently arranged on the spaces K.

L is a girder for strengthening the ship locomotive and the ship, boat or barge when necessary. This girder may be either of the lattice type shown in Fig. 2 or may be an ordinary plate girder.

The caissons and platforms are formed of frame-work and sides of iron or steel connected together so as to give the necessary rigidity to the whole structure both when in position on the hull and also when resting upon the lifting ponton by which it is removed from one hull to another. The ship locomotive and hull when connected are securely fastened together by substantial bolts M or by keys, wedges or other attachments instead of or in addition to such bolts. A

The relative dimensions of the dierent parts such as would be suitable for one application of theinvention, are shown in the drawings, for a light draft barge, but these dimensions will vary according to the amount and kind of cargo intended to be carried in the ship, boat or barge.

There maybe one, two or more boilers, and the engines may be simple, compound,triple or quadruple expansion. The screw propeller instead of being driven direct from the engines as shown in Fig. 3 may be driven by means of gearing, the engines being placed in any suitable position for this purpose.

The caissons may if desired be constructed with compartments and pumps for filling the compartments with water or air-in this case they can be raised or lowered in the water by pumping water into or out of them.

In order to move a ship locomotive from one hull to another I generally employ a ponton of construction somewhat similar to those employed for floating docks. I bring the ship, boat or barge with the ship locomotive attached to it into position over the ponton. I then cause the ponton to rise in the water by pumping water out of it and when the locomotive rests upon the caissons I unfasten the bolts, screws, wedges or other attachments by which the locomotive is fastened to the ship,

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boat or barge. I then continue to pumpwater out of the ponton which will consequently rise to a higher level, lifting the ship locomotive oif the hull. l then draw the hull clear of the ship locomotive by any of the ordinary methods of moving ships, boats or barges in docks and harbors. I thenina similar manner bringY another hull into position under the platform of the ship locomotive and lower the ponton till the locomotive rests upon the hull. I VVthen fasten the bolts, screws or wedges. and remove the combined hull and locomotive either by Working the propellers or by any of the means usually employed for moving ships in docks and harbors.

In placeof employing a floating ponton as above described for lifting arid, lowering a ships lecomotive to allow of its being detached from one'hull and placed on to another I may employ platforms that are lifted and lowered in other ways or where there is a rise'and fall of tide the hull witha locomotive uponitmay at high tide be brought between two fixed platforms so'that when the tide goes down the ships locomotive may rest' upon andV be supported by the platforms while the hull descends with the tide and can be drawn away and another brought into its place.

When the caissons are constructed incompartme'nts and fitted with pumps' so that' by pumping water into or out of them they can be'raised or lowered in the water they can be' detached from one hull and attached to another wit'hout the* aidlof! any further lifting or supporting appliance.

hull and double flanged'wheels upon the locomotives.

they may be raised or lowered by means of screws or hydraulic rams'. Y When the hull is being brought up to or removed from the ship I then lower the ponton alittle more These wheels may be so iixed that locomotive. the two may be guided into their .properv relative positions by means of the ment being such that the engines with their platform may be readily transferred from one vessel to another, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a barge or Vessel,

of two caissons, one on either side, a platform l connecting the two caissons passi ng across the vessel; and carrying boilers and propelling engines, and readily detachable fastenings for connecting the platform and vessel together. 3. Thecombination wit-h a barge or vessel of two caissons, one on either side ofl saidves'- lsel, each fitted with a screw propeller, a plat'-A `form connecting the two caissons passing across the vessel,- and carrying boilers and en- 4gines. for driving the screw propellers, and' `readily detachable fastenings for connecting theplatformV and vessel' together.

4. The combination with a barge or vessel, of two caissons, one on either side of said ves# sel and each of greater depth'th'a'n the vessel, al platform connecting the twocais'sons pass# l ing across the vessel and carrying boilers and propelling engines andirea'dily detachable fastenings 'for connecting the platform and ves'- Y sel together. Parallel guide rails may be placed' upon the f HENRYA DE MORGAN'v sNEILIL.

IWitnesses: a

CHARLES ALEXANDER' HARRISON,

FREDERICK JOHN HATCHMAN,

Both of 53 New Broad St.,'Loajid'on. 

